Philadelphia Metro Area Hunger Relief and Community Food Access Study

Completed 2009

The Philadelphia Metro Area Hunger Relief and Community Food Access Study was a joint collaboration of the CSC and Philabundance, a non-profit food distribution system fighting hunger while reducing food waste. The study assessed the spatial relationship between hunger and the distribution of hunger relief services in Philadelphia metro area (Delaware Valley Region - five counties of PA and five counties of NJ). The purpose of this study was to identify areas of need without access to services and those areas without sufficient service capacity to address the levels of need for households in low income neighborhoods.

The study, funded by a $82,000 grant (in three phases) from Philabundance, will conduct GIS analyses to find the service gaps for households in low income neighborhoods. Spatial relationship between the food needs of client population, the location distribution of the local providers and the quantities of food provided by each provider can provide a visual demonstration of the largest geographic gaps in food delivery. Thus the study will establish the relationship between hunger and the spatial distribution of the flow of hunger relief.